TL;DR A Galaxy Ring user says the battery swelled while the device was on their finger, leaving it stuck and painful.
The user was denied boarding a flight and had the ring removed in the hospital using ice and medical lubricant.
Photos of the ring after it was removed show a visibly distorted battery.
Update 3, October 1, 2025 (02:02 PM ET): We’ve officially heard back from Samsung about this incident, and the company tells us that it is currently investigating the matter. It’s probably far too early to speculate where that investigation will lead, but we look forward to updating you with any outcome the company ultimately shares. Update 2, October 1, 2025 (04:28 AM ET): The affected user, Daniel, shared another update, showing off their finger after the ring removal. There are some small marks, which the user is confident will heal in some time.
Daniel also said that Samsung reached out to him, refunded the hotel expenses, and took care of the rest of his travel back home. They have also collected the ring for further investigation.
He notes that the battery of the ring was acting weird for a while, but it wasn’t even charged when the swelling incident happened. He also linked out to a couple of reports for similar battery life issues and swelling. He mentions that Samsung has been offering free replacements to affected users in the Reddit posts, but even these have ended up having the same issue later on. Update, September 30, 2025 (05:18 AM ET): Samsung has shared the following statement with Android Authority regarding the incident: The safety of our customers is our top priority. This is an extremely rare case, and we are in direct contact with Mr. Rotar to retrieve the product and learn about the concerns. Tech creator Daniel shared his own theories on what may have caused his Galaxy Ring to fail. He suspects the battery could have been damaged by Hawaii’s intense heat (where he attended the Snapdragon Summit), exposure to salt water, multiple flights, or an already faulty battery.
Of these possibilities, salt water exposure seems the most likely culprit. The Galaxy Ring is not designed to withstand it. Its 10ATM water resistance and IP68 rating don’t protect against the corrosive effects of salt water.
Daniel also noted that his ring had been struggling with battery life even before the swelling incident, lasting only about 1.5 days instead of the seven-day battery life he was getting from it initially. By the time the ring supposedly expanded, the battery was completely drained.
Samsung has yet to publicly respond to Daniel’s posts on X, so it remains unclear what steps the company might take. We’ll update this story if and when Samsung issues a statement. Original article, September 29, 2025 (3:42 PM ET): The Samsung Galaxy Ring is designed to track your health, but a bizarre malfunction for one owner says it was actually the cause of an emergency hospital visit. The battery inside his ring reportedly swelled while it was still on his finger, causing pain and making it impossible to remove.
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